Ise Sadatame

Ise Sadatame (伊勢 貞為; 1559 – 1609) was a Japanese military commander and vassal of the Ashikaga shogunate during the Sengoku period.

Originally the head of the Ise clan that served the former Ashikaga shogunate, Sadatame was deposed by his younger brother Sadaoki, who usurped his position as clan head to serve Akechi Mitsuhide and the Shinbakufu. Despite attempts to persuade his ambitious younger brother, Sadatame was forced to eliminate Saodaoki with the help of the Kakushiba ikki Fujibayashi Naoe and Yasuke, restoring him as rightful head of the Ise clan.

Biography

Service under the Ashikaga

Sadatame was born into the Ise clan, and ancient family of warriors that had served in various administrative positions for the Ashikaga court. At a young age, Sadatame entered the service of the fourteenth shogun Ashikaga Yoshihide and served him until his death in 1568. Yoshihide's cousin Yoshiaki ascended as the next shogun and sidelined Sadatame, believing he was part of a group of officials that he considered unreliable. However, his and his younger brother's qualities were eventually recognized and they were integrated as part of the otomoshū, the shōgun's commensals and served him daily.

In 1573, Sadatame fought for his lord at the Nijo Palace in Kyoto against the forces of Oda Nobunaga, which resulted in the defeat and expulsion of Yoshiaki, and the end of the Ashikaga shogunate. Nobunaga recoginized the Ise brothers for their administrative skills and thus pardoned them. Sadatame was put into the offices of Nobunaga as his vassal, while Sadaoki became a retainer and later son-in-law of Nobunaga's general Akechi Mitsuhide.

Life in exile

"He poisoned me. And when I was sick, he took control of our clan. Now he commands whatever Lord Mitsuhide bids. It has caused us shame, and anger, as you saw."

―Sadatame telling Naoe and Yasuke about Sadaoki's actions, 1582.

By 1582, Sadatame became the head of the Ise clan with Yamazaki Castle as its stronghold. Around 1581, Sadatame was poisoned by his ambitious younger brother Ise Sadaoki, who promptly usurped him as the clan's new leader. While he survived the poison, Sadatame was forced to remove himself from clan affairs due to the resulting illness and retired to the Byodoin Temple, where he took up monkhood and was guarded by a servant.

In 1582, after learning that Sadaoki had seemingly joined a group known as the Shinbakufu and was serving under his father-in-law Akechi Mitsuhide, Sadatame wrote a letter to his younger brother to dissuade him. While his letter was able to reach Sadaoki, the younger brother's reply was intercepted and stolen by a thief called Gennojo who held grudges against the Ise clan.

Conflict with Sadaoki

Sadaoki: "You come here grovelling like a beggar, bringing a pair of murdering ronin with you!"

Sadatame: "No, brother. They are not my family! You are."

Sadaoki: "You are sentimental and weak. You sicken me."

—Sadatame trying to reason with his brother, 1582.

Sadatame meeting Naoe and Yasuke

In June, Sadatame was visited by the Iga kunoichi Fujibayashi Naoe and the samurai Yasuke, who sought to eliminate Sadaoki due to his part in Oda Nobunaga's death. While Sadatame was willing to assist Naoe and Yasuke with their efforts, he was adamant that he could reason with his younger brother. To help them get into the castle, Sadatame directed them to seek out his friend and ally Ujimasa, a former castle guard who was hiding out at Kiyomizudera Temple. To gain their trust, Sadatame also sent them to meet with his messenger and recover Sadaoki's letter, which had been lost near Arashiyama.

Some time later, Naoe and Yasuke returned after obtaining the castle's inner gate key and the letter backing Sadatame's statement and confirming Sadaoki's membership within the Shinbakufu. Although initially reluctant to go against his brother, Sadatame eventually laid out his plan to enter the castle, which Naoe and Yasuke agreed with. While Naoe sneaked in to open the inner castle gate, Yasuke helped to clear a path before escorting Sadatame inside.

Upon entering the inner courtyard, Sadatame immediately split from the group to confront Sadaoki. Sadatame kneeled down in front of his brother, begging him to leave Mitsuhide's service and rebuild the clan together. Sadaoki refused and berated him, declaring that he would stand beside Mitsuhide when he became the next shōgun and rebuild the clan with his help.

Sadatame promising to make up for his brother's deeds

At that moment, the brothers were interrupted by the arrival of Gennojo, who slashed Sadatame and escaped from Sadaoki. A fight soon broke out between Sadaoki and Naoe and Yasuke, culminating in Sadaoki's defeat and death. A wounded Sadatame then told Naoe and Yasuke that he would bury and mourn his brother, while vowing to undo the mistakes he had made. Following this event, Sadatame returned to work for Nobunaga's successor Hashiba Hideyoshi for a period of time before retiring due to his sickness. In the last years of his life, Sadatame wrote treaties on horsemanship and warrior traditions, and his sons went on to serve under the Tokugawa shogunate.

Behind the scenes

Ise Sadatame is a historical figure introduced in Assassin's Creed: Shadows. He is known for having abdicated clan headship to his younger brother, Ise Sadaoki, for health reasons. However, some believe the move might have been politically driven, as Sadatame had been a supporter of shōgun Ashikaga Yoshihide, who died in 1568, with Ashikaga Yoshiaki taking nominal power. There is no evidence to suggest Sadatame being poisoned as the reason for him stepping down as leader of the Ise clan.

Gallery

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  Closeup of Sadatame
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  Sadatame discussing with Naoe and Yasuke to attack Yamazaki Castle

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Shadows